A review by rubeusbeaky
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

5.0

A twisting, paranormal, whodunit, this book is not for the faint of heart... or stomach. Major trigger warnings. But it's a mesmerizing, must-read. The book tackles some very mature themes about how girls - especially descendants of immigrants - are mistreated by American society. Girls whose lives fall into an ugly truth - drug trafficking, sex trafficking, abuse, poverty, homelessness - are treated as invisible or expendable. Entire economic systems - be they high society or low - are built on the exploitation of young women. This book delivers a heroine who dares to do more than survive in a rigged system: she demands respect from her abusers, defies the limits set on her, shows compassion for others despite her own suffering, and forges herself into someone proactive and chivalrous. Galaxy Stern is right up there with Mia Corvere (Nevernight) and Julia Wicker (The Magicians) in the Bad@$$ Girls Club.